street is the principal chapel of the United Secession, the most numerous dissenting body in Scotland, with the exception of the Free Church, which is essentially a community of Dissenters, although they are not yet reconciled to the name. Continuing to proceed northwards, by Mansfield Place and Bellevue Crescent, ST. MARY'S CHURCH will be seen terminating the northern extremity of the latter street. It is one of the neatest of the Edinburgh Churches, possessing a portico and spire, respectable in design and of excellent masonry. Immediately beyond the church is the entrance to the Newhaven Railway. At the northern end of Claremont Street -the range of lofty houses opposite St. Mary's Church— are the ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS. They are pleasantly situated, and laid out with good taste. Although the collection is only of recent formation, it is already considerable, and is constantly receiving additions. The adventurous spirit which carries Scotsmen to the remotest corners of the globe, has tended in no small degree to enrich the collection, many of the fine specimens which it contains having been presented by natives of Scotland travelling, or permanently resident in foreign countries.

From St. Mary's Church the road now declines towards the village of Canonmills. After passing this squalid suburb, the stranger crosses the Water of Leith, by Canonmills Bridge. Upon his left he will observe some massive and singular looking buildings, erected, some years ago, by an oil gas company. The speculation was soon abandoned as an unprofitable one, and the buildings are now occupied as warehouses. At the further end of Howard Place is situated the CALEDONIAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY'S GARDEN, a beautiful and interesting piece of ground, containing 10 imperial acres, and commanding one of the finest views of Edinburgh from the north. Strangers are admitted by orders from members of the Society, or on application to Mr. James M'Nab, the Curator of the garden.†

* The general character of the place has one redeeming feature. Dr. Neill's pleasant suburban residence, "like a jewel of gold in a swine's snout," is situated on the confines of the village. The proprietor is a distinguished botanist and naturalist, his gardens displaying a variety of botanical rarities, as well as many choice living specimens of interesting objects in the animal kingdom.

The Caledonian Horticultural Society was established in 1809, since which

Upon the same side of Inverleith Road, considerably farther along, is the ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN. To this noble garden, strangers are freely admitted, but the hot-houses are open to the public only on Saturday, between the hours of twelve and four.

The garden embraces an extent of 144 English acres, and presents every facility for prosecuting the study of Botany.*

period large sums have been annually expended in the production of new fruits, flowers, and vegetables, and in perfecting or bringing to maturity those already introduced. In the centre of the garden stands a spacious and elegant hall for the meetings of the Society, adorned with a marble bust, by Steele, of the Secretary, Dr. Neill; and in front of the hall, a fine lawn is laid out, as a promenade ground; where several exhibitions of Exotic Plants annually take place, attended by all the beauty and fashion of the city. The garden is arranged into various compartments, having soils suited for the different collections placed in them. The raised belts which surround and intersect the garden are occupied as an Arboretum, and contain authentic named specimens of all the newer kinds of trees and shrubs. There is an Apple orchard containing specimens of upwards of 900 named varieties; and a Pear orchard, containing upwards of 450 named varieties. The collections also contain 85 varieties of Plums, 25 of Cherries, 27 of Currants, and 30 of Raspberries. The kinds of Strawberries are very numerous, extending to no fewer than 120 sorts, and of Gooseberries the collection is still greater, exceeding 400 kinds. One of the chief objects of the garden is also to exhibit the most approved kinds of culinary vegetables in a growing state, duly tallied, so as to form a school for the information of those visiting the garden; and to test such novelties or rarities as may from time to time be recommended, to make trial of various manures, and to exhibit different modes of culture.

* Immediately upon his entrance to the grounds, the stranger is struck with the luxuriance and vigour of the evergreens, to the cultivation of which Mr. Wm. M'Nab, the able curator, has devoted much attention. On the southern side of the garden there is a large collection of hardy plants arranged according to the Natural System of Jussieu, such as ferns, grasses, labiate, cruciform, and leguminous plants, &c. Close to this collection is a small pond containing rushes, water lilies, &c., and a ditch containing those plants which thrive best in such a situation. To the north of this arrangement is a collection of British plants, arranged according to the Linnæan or artificial system, with the name attached to each species. On the eastern side are the plants indigenous to Scotland, and on the west, a few which are found in England and Ireland but not in Scotland. A little to the east of this British arrangement, is a collection of roses. Proceeding northwards, we come to a general collection of hardy evergreens, chiefly exotic; to the east of which is a small collection of Medical plants, with the names attached. We then reach the Greenhouses, which have of late been much increased by a liberal grant from Government. These houses contain a large collection of exotics, which thrive admirably. The western division contains heaths, epacridec, dryandras, proteas, grevilleas, diosmas, &c., while in the eastern division, we have a stove with a northern exposure, in which epiphytes are cultivated with great success. The peculiar forms of these plants, and their remarkable mode of growth, attract the attention of all.

In the other greenhouses of the front range, there are many interesting plants; among these may be noticed Plantains, which bear fruit well, Papaw tree,

It is surrounded by trees on the west, south, and eastern sides, and among these, there are some of considerable interest. Many of them were removed, in their full grown state, from the former garden in Leith Walk, and under the judicious management of Mr. M'Nab, they have all succeeded. To the west of the general European collection is an old Yew, which has been twice transplanted, having been transferred, first, from the Old Physic Gardens, below the North Bridge, to the garden in Leith Walk, and afterwards removed to its present situation. Beside the collection of British plants is a magnetic observatory, superintended by the Professor of Natural Philosophy. The classroom of the Professor of Botany, and the house of the superintendent, are situated on the right-hand side of the entrance. A little further down the road, on the opposite side, is the entrance to the burying-ground of the Edinburgh Cemetery Company. The grounds are laid out with much taste, and the Company has conferred an important benefit on the community by affording the means of sepulture in such a spot at extremely moderate charges.

In returning, the stranger may vary his route by turning to the right, immediately after recrossing Canonmills Bridge, and proceeding by Huntly Street, Brandon Street, Pitt Street, and Dundas Street, to Queen Street. Turning to the left along Queen Street, he will pass St. David's Street on the right, and proceed up St. Andrew's Street, the next opening on the same side of the way. On the left hand, upon entering St. Andrew's Square, he may step into the Pitcher-plant, Papyrus, Indian rubber fig, cacti, cinnamon, tea plants, camphor tree, Astrapca, some of the Fig tribe growing suspended in the air, amaryllides, arums, euphorbias, &c. In front of this range of houses is a piece of ground on which many of the plants of warmer regions, such as palms, acacias, &c., are cultivated in the open air, being carefully protected during winter. Behind these houses is a smaller range in which numerous seedlings are cultivated, and a large Palm-house, about 45 feet high, in which are found Plantains and Bananas, Sago Palms, Fan Palms, European Palms, Cabbage Palms, Date Palms, Cocoa Nut Trees, Sugar Cane, Bamboos, Screw Pine, Elephant's Foot, &c. The houses are heated partly by hot water and partly by steam. From the top of the boiler-house there is a very fine view of Edinburgh. Against the high northern wall of the garden, having a south aspect, many valuable exotics are trained, as, Magnolias, Acacias, Edwardsias, Camellias, Myrtles, Eucalypti, &c. On the north aspect of the south boundary wall, the Damask Rhododendrons are trained, and flower freely every year.

passage No. 31, at the end of which, immediately in front of the door to the premises of Mr. Cadell the publisher, is placed a statue of Sir Walter Scott cut in freestone by Greenshields, a self-taught Lanarkshire artist. The likeness is very striking, and the unaffected character and homely manner of the great novelist are so faithfully expressed, that a friend of Sir Walter's, upon seeing it, exclaimed, “This is not a statue of the man, but his petrifaction."

Resuming his progress along the side of the Square, the stranger will again reach Princes Street, and turning to the left will regain the Register House, thus terminating our Fourth Walk.

The objects of interest in the City being now exhausted, we proceed to introduce the tourist to some spots in the vicinity more particularly worthy of notice. Among these we may observe, that Roslin is regarded as the most attractive, although we have commenced with Habbie's Howe, as the best geographical arrangement.

ENVIRONS OF EDINBURGH.

HABBIE'S HOWE.

A VERY delightful excursion may be made from Edinburgh to Newhall, distant about twelve miles, supposed, with great probability, to be the scene of Allan Ramsay's celebrated pastoral, " The Gentle Shepherd."

Leaving Edinburgh by Bruntsfield Links, the tourist passes on the right MERCHISTON CASTLE, the birth-place of the celebrated Napier, the inventor of Logarithms. A little further on is the village of Morningside, and a number of villas and country boxes. Two miles from Edinburgh is the Hermitage of Braid, (J. Gordon, Esq. of Clunie,) situated at the bottom of a narrow and thickly wooded dell, through which a small rivulet, called the Braid Burn, strays. Braid once belonged to a family called Fairly, and the Laird of Braid, during the Reformation, was a personal friend and zealous defender of John Knox. The road now skirts the rocky eminences called the Hills of Braid, which command a most beautiful view of the Scottish metropolis, with the Firth of Forth, its islands, and the shores of Fife in the background. The more northern side, called Blackford Hill, the property of Richard Trotter, Esq. of Mortonhall, is the spot mentioned in "Marmion."

"Still on the spot Lord Marmion stay'd,

For fairer scene he ne'er survey'd," &c.

The space of ground which extends from the bottom of Blackford Hill to the suburbs of Edinburgh, was formerly denominated the Borough Moor. We are informed by historians that it was studded with magnificent oaks at the